


like a team who had trained together for years

by leovaldez



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Book 1: The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus), Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Romance, First Kiss, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Missing Scene, Not Beta Read, To Be Edited, i was just excited lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:49:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leovaldez/pseuds/leovaldez
Summary: Their first kiss was an accident. The kiss that followed? Not so much.
Relationships: Jason Grace/Leo Valdez
Comments: 20
Kudos: 192
Collections: Valgrace in the Canon Universe





	like a team who had trained together for years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [animebawseqween](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animebawseqween/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Lost Hero and the Seventh (On Hiatus)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23543674) by [Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa/pseuds/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa). 
  * Inspired by [what we have is good, and i just want this to last](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15947441) by [leovaldez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leovaldez/pseuds/leovaldez). 



> this was originally going to span the entire series and be a very long slow burn and then i realized, literally by the time i hit midas' mansion that i do _not_ have the patience at all for that. maybe one day i'll rewrite it but i'm definitely too lazy to do it now.
> 
> that said, this idea came entirely from rereading the above fic by slytherinQueer. they're ACTUALLY rewriting tlh as valgrace which is like, my dream, so i'm impressed. that's the fic this was *inspired* by.  
> the other inspiration was my own work because i was thinking about how these two could be combined, since the timeline is consistent and it's one of my favorites. they work hand in hand because i'm so smart!!! :) i didn't want to put them in a series, so this is how i linked it lol . 
> 
> secondly, this was gifted to [animebawseqween](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animebawseqween/pseuds/animebawseqween), because YO, the comparison of jason's eyes to blue lightning literally changed my life lmao :3
> 
> ((( to everyone who's been into valgrace before this year, isn't it so cool seeing so many new names? :) i find it awesome lolol)))
> 
> [to be edited, have patience with me. i said i hate posting 10k chaps and _yet_ ]

**1**

Quebec was cold. Leo internally went _Duh_ because they were visiting frosty Canada in the middle of winter. Also, being in the North Wind’s domain didn’t help.

After meeting Kione (who was the definition of _foxy_ ) and her dumb-and-dumber brothers, Jason and Piper hesitantly left with her to talk to the North Wind. Leo was left with the big guy Cal who could only speak with two-syllables.

When Jason and Piper left, Leo and his new Boread companion were stuck in silence. Festus was still in his carry-on suitcase state, and Leo feared going back to his dragon state would freak the Boreads more.

“Sooooo,” Leo sat down on one of the snow-covered seats. The ice burned through his clothes, but his internal heat caused it to melt into a wet puddle.

Cal was apprehensive at best. “Fire bad.”

“Fire bad. Got it.” Leo drummed his fingers on his leg. This… this was awkward. It was one thing to be declared the bad guy with his friends nearby to defend himself, but without them, Leo was forced to acknowledge that to these ice dudes, he _was_ the bad guy.

“So, uh,” Leo tried again. He didn’t like silence. “Tell me about your sister, man. Khione, right? Is she interested in 5’6 guys with temperatures of more than half a degree?”

“Sister?” Cal looked disgruntled. He balled up his red hockey jersey in his fists. “Bad.”

“Bad like fire bad or like _baaaad,_ ” Leo smirked.

The Canadian demigod shook his head. “Very mean! Bad sister!”

“Oh,” Leo shrugged. “Could be worse.”

Cal gave him a pitying look. Then, with a curious look from his two black eyes (Leo wondered who he fought), Cal came closer to the Festus suitcase. Festus’ tidy scales had created a brilliant golden sheen in the shape of a box. Leo was satisfied with the feature, mentally patting himself in the back for coming up with it earlier. It was a solid idea, and for a first trial run, the Festus-case was ready for to-go travel. Except for the fact that he weighed a million tons- that’ll be a kink Leo would need to work out.

“This is dragon?” Cal asked. “Real dragon?”

Leo slowly nodded. “Yup. The same dragon you wanted to knock out the sky five minutes ago.”

“See dragon again,” Cal looked around for his siblings and then pressed a finger to his thin lips. “Won’t tell.”

Leo waved him back. “Sure, buddy. Whatever you want.” Leo didn’t mind because if Cal decided to go crazy or Jason and Piper needed a quick escape, at least he’d be ready. Leo pressed a button along the side of the Festus-case and stepped back. The dragon slowly unfolded like robotic origami.

“Exciting like hockey,” Cal watched in awe. He looked down at Leo, accusatory. “You like hockey?”

“Oh _yeah_ , totally,” Leo didn’t know anything about hockey. “Go, uh, maple leaves!” He weakly fist-bumped the air to show some sort of team spirit. Cal nodded, clearly approving.

“I love hockey,” Cal smiled. He was missing some of his teeth, the other jutting out strangely. “And dragons.”

Leo pet Festus once the dragon was in his full size. “Wow. We’re so alike, Cal. I also like hockey and dragons.”

Cal flew up with his wings to Festus’ giant glowing eyes. He swooped back down next to Leo. “Dragon not broken anymore? How come?”

“Uh,” Leo forgot Piper had said that to help get them to land. Leo looked up to Festus. “He’s just-”

Now, Leo had a few reasons as to why Festus did what he did next. His first and what he hoped for, was that Festus was just _overly eager_ to be helpful and prove he was still broken. The second reason and what he hoped wasn’t right was that Festus was _actually_ broken, especially after compacting himself so small. And the final and most _probable_ cause, based on the irritated clicking, was that Festus was ticked about being turned into a suitcase.

The dragon interrupted Leo, by squeaking loudly, tilting his head, and pouring out a couple of gallons of motor oil on the two demigods. Leo wiped the black gunk out of his eyes and glared at Festus, who cheekily tilted his head back.

“Gross!” Cal squealed and flew up to Festus. “Bad dragon! Bad dragon!” He waved a disapproving finger like he was admonishing a pet. Festus gave Leo a look that basically said, _Really? Can I torch him now?_

Leo had no sympathy for the dragon. He called out to Cal. “Hey! Got any showers in this hotel? Hopefully, ones with hot water?”

Cal nodded, flinging oil at Festus. “We shower now. Come with me.”

Leo was led through the frosted halls of the hotel. Cal went the opposite direction from where Jason and Piper were led to Boreas. They passed by gorgeous glass sculptures and frosted mirrors. Leo passed by an ice statue that looked startlingly life-like. Though a block of transparent ice, the teenager depicted had a tattoo like Jason’s, carved in his arm.

“Who’s the interior decorator? I’ve got a bunker back at camp that could use some updating.” Leo joked.

Cal swiped away his blackened hair. His irises were a washy dull blue. “Silly demigods. Don’t touch. They are fragile.”

Leo didn’t have a clue what that meant, so he kept walking. He was brought to a slightly warmer locker room. There were more of those ice angels like Cal, standing by the entrance of, wearing maid outfits. The room was empty of decorations except for steel benches and another doorway. One of the walls had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked onto the sun setting on Quebec City.

“Strip,” Cal happily said, peeling off his jersey. He handled it with care as he passed it to one of the maids.

“Uh,” Leo looked around. There wasn’t a shower in sight. Hesitantly, he pulled off his clothes, and Cal slapped his back with his giant hand. “ _Uh, dude._ Personal space.”

Cal ignored that and steered him toward the other door. Leo had to walk faster than his usual pace to avoid Cal’s body from touching his own. The guy had _zero_ perception of personal space. Leo hoped Jason and Piper were doing something equally as embarrassing as him right now.

The door opened up to a setup that was similar to a locker room shower. There weren’t any curtains (unfortunately), just a tiled wall, and a handful of shower spouts sticking out. The opposite wall had fluffy blue towels coated in soft-looking snow.

Cal flew to one of the showers and reached for the soap dispenser. Leo stood, at least three shower spaces away, and turned the red marked handle. He jumped back when the numbingly cold stream hit him.

“Warmth is not welcomed,” Cal reminded him cheerfully. His eyes looked Leo up and down, disregarding any of Leo’s pleas for privacy. “Wash oil off now!”

“Turn around,” Leo demanded. Cal shrugged and continued washing, babbling about hockey. Leo stepped under the spray again. Making sure no one was watching, Leo lit himself on fire, fully embracing his curse for the warmth. The rest of his shower was refreshing after that, even joining in on Cal’s inquiry about the best pizza topping.

When they were done and went back to the bench room, their clothes were left, completely clean and dry. Leo slipped on his clothes and followed Cal back, chatting about the merits of Hawaiian pizza. The maids silently nodded as they left.

“Pineapple is sweet,” Cal argued, “Sweet and savory are good.”

Leo was careful of the wet spots the demigod was dripping from his wet wings. “I get that, but it doesn’t seem natural.”

“But it is!” Cal happily clapped.

They came back to where Festus was releasing steam to keep warm. Festus gave Leo a sly look. _No more suitcases_ , Leo guessed. He shook his head at the dragon and laughed as Cal paced back and forth over the pineapple discussion. He was earnest about it.

“How about we order some here, man?” Leo suggested. “I could eat.”

“Good idea,” Cal praised. “Pizza is yummy.”

“-you’re a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess,” Jason said, coming down the stairs with Piper and Zethes. Leo combed back his hair, excited to see the more attractive Boreas child. Khione, however, didn’t look interested in coming back to see her future husband. She was livid at Jason’s remark and dissolved into a blizzard.

“Be careful.” Zethes warned. “She never forgets an insult.”

Cal grunted from beside Leo. “Bad sister.”

Piper overstepped the puddle of water, careful to also avoid slipping on the ice floor. She came by Festus, ready to climb back on. Whatever information they got from the North Wind must’ve been important. Jason stayed by the steps, disturbed with how Khione left so suddenly. “She’s the goddess of snow,” Jason said. “What’s she going to do, throw snowballs at us?”

Zethes and Cal looked at each other. Leo was sad at the hot ice goddess leaving. He approached Jason. “What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my-”

It was nearly comical the way he slid across the water, and then the ice. Leo slipped, head forward, and Jason leaped out to catch him. Except Jason forgot that he was _also_ standing on solid ice, so he slid forward as well.

They barreled into each other, rolling across the ice. Jason’s arms had wrapped around Leo in the confusion to keep him from harm. Embarrassingly, when they stopped moving, Leo’s face was squished against his best friends. His nose was smashed, and his lips were pressed against Jason’s upper lip.

Leo’s eyes widened, and he leaned away. He rolled off Jason and wiped his mouth. “Gross. Where’s the consent here?”

Jason sat up and wiped at his own mouth. “I was _saving_ you from bashing your head in.”

“Aw,” The next thought hit Leo like an arrow. He laid back, staring up at the ice chandelier. “That was my first kiss too. And it was _you!_ You owe Khione an apology. My future wife deserved that.” He shot Jason a scandalized look. Jason rolled his eyes, touching his lips.

Piper stood over Leo, trying not to laugh at his despair. She offered a hand, and pulled him up. “Come on, Lover Boy. We should get going before we outlive our welcome. Let’s just head to Chicago before your future wife decides to use us as her next statement piece.”

“Use us as _what?_ ” The hangar doors opened, dropping the temperature of the already chilly penthouse. Leo and Piper climbed onto Festus. The heated seats Leo had created felt heavenly. Cal and Zethes flew up to them.

“Be careful, pretty girl,” Zethes warned them, though he obviously cared more for Piper than Leo. “Many evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection.”

… _What?_ Leo looked back at Piper questioningly.

Piper grimaced. “Uh, thanks? But no thanks.”

Cal clapped Leo’s shoulder. “Don’t die. Next time- pizza. Hawaiian.”

“You got it,” Leo snorted. Cal was taking big steps with the long words. Even if half of it was a warning. Festus growled, wanting to fly away. Leo shared the sentiment, wanting to leave the cold place quickly. Unfortunately, there was someone else left.

“Jason, come on,” Leo whined, looking back at his friend. Jason was still sitting on the floor, in thought, as he rubbed his lips. Leo’s voice startled him, but Jason quickly regained composure and flew to his seat behind Piper.

“I’m here,” the guy said. He gave Leo a strange look like he was seeing Leo for the first time. Leo rolled his eyes. Not this bit again. Okay, granted, Jason’s amnesiac act was proven to be true. He hoped their tumble hadn’t knocked out what was left of Jason’s blended brains.

“I’m not contagious, dude,” Leo told him, and then rubbed Festus’ neck. “Alright,” He announced to the purple-winged Boreads. “We’re off. Thanks for the shower!”

Cal waved gleefully, but Zethes held a worried look. Like they were going to ride to their deaths. That was _so_ not encouraging, Leo thought as Festus flew away, the glow of Quebec City growing smaller and smaller behind them.

* * *

**2**

Chicago faded away like a dream. Jason wondered if that was his first kiss. He kissed Piper in their fake memories, didn’t he? But Jason didn’t remember that.

Even if it was something as trivial as his real first kiss, Jason wished he could remember _something_.

* * *

**3**

Eating in a sewer wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t the worst place Leo’s ever ate. They were lucky- it seemed like this sewer had recently been emptied. Leo snickered as he continued cooking the tofu. Piper and Jason were so prissy that they wouldn’t last a day in the sewers. Maybe Piper would… but definitely not Jason. He laughed to himself.

“Hey,” Jason came over. He left Piper to rest off her pain against a brick ledge. In the firelight, Jason’s blue eyes were illuminated. Like shocking blue lightning, Leo thought, reminding himself of Jason’s lineage. It was the stuff of blue sparks from the forges, metal clashing against metal.

“Yo,” Leo arranged lettuce across the tortillas. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“I am,” Jason admitted, sheepishly. “It smells delicious.” In his fingers, he turned his gold coin over. He kept giving Leo a strange side-eye, though.

“Here, carry this over,” Leo tossed him a couple of juice boxes and carefully balanced his plates of tacos with chips and salsa in his hands. Together, they went back to Piper, who looked delighted for the food. “Don’t worry,” he laughed at Piper’s famished look. “It’s tofu not beef, so dig in, beauty queen.”

“Leo,” Piper moaned into her food. “I _love_ you.” Leo looked at Jason over Piper’s head and raised an eyebrow. Jason snorted, and they both laughed.

A few tacos later- Leo hadn’t noticed how hungry they all were until now- and Piper slipped into a food coma. She dropped her head in Jason’s lap and began snoring away. Leo crushed a chip in his fist when the first snore erupted.

“Good, huh?” He grinned at Jason, as they both failed to ignore the hilarious snores from Piper. For such a small body, Leo was scared of what came out of her.

“You should start a stand,” Jason proposed. He lazily reached over for some more chips. “Did you make the salsa?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill ya.”

Jason chuckled. “It tastes like Tostitos, but if it’s a Valdez secret, then I guess I’ll never know.”

“You _guero_ ,” Leo gasped in mock horror. “You _better_ not have called my home cooking _store-bought_.”

They dissolved into laughter. Leo finished off the lemonade from his canteen and let out a hearty belch. He rubbed his stomach, leaning back on his elbows. Man… something about eating a good dinner and chilling with his best buds was awesome. It sucked that they probably were going to die on this quest, but this was nice.

“Leo?” Leo turned his head toward Jason. Jason was staring at the fire a few yards away and then looked back at him. His hands were awkwardly trying not to settle on Piper’s head. “About this fire stuff you can do… is that true?”

Leo’s good mood evaporated just like that. It was hard to tell what kind of expression Jason was making with the dim lighting. He was giving Leo the same look since Quebec, the weird, curious glance, except this was mixed with uncertainty and maybe… fear? Leo swallowed.

“Yeah.” He opened one of his palms, careful to avoid losing his balance. A ball of fire danced across his skin, crackling with life. Jason’s face was disturbingly calm.

The two of them watched the flame flicker and bounce. Leo closed his hand, extinguishing it. “That is so cool,” Jason said, eventually. He looked bummed that the freak show ended. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Didn’t want to look like a freak,” Leo muttered. He _was_ a freak. Leo wasn’t normal, and he dreaded the fact that now both Piper _and_ Jason knew it.

“I have lightning and wind powers, and Piper can turn beautiful while charming people,” Jason said bluntly like Leo was ridiculous. “You’re no more a freak than we are.”

Leo sucked his teeth. “Trust me, the Hephaestus cabin doesn’t see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they’re super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. _Really_ bad.”

“Maybe it’s the other way around,” Jason suggested. “Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that’s when they’re needed most.”

Leo was quiet at that. Jason was still too. Piper kept snoring.

Leo didn’t agree with what Jason said at all. Sure, he used his powers to save Jason and Piper from Ma Gasket and the other giants, but Leo wished he hadn’t. His curse outcasted him, made him stand out in the wrong way. That much was evident from the way the Boreads reacted. Leo was such an idiot for thinking he could stroll in a palace of ice like that.

Jason and Piper were lucky. Their powers were useful. But Leo’s? His fire was pure destruction. It’s only caused him and everyone around him pain.

“Being a demigod is awfully cruel,” Jason said aloud. “I’m sorry.”

“...It’s alright,” Leo said. “I hope those other demigods in this Great Prophecy are off a lot better than us.”

“I hope,” Jason agreed. He looked down at Piper. “I hope they all have their memories.”

“What? Why not have one of them get the amnesiac treatment too?” Leo sat up. “If I was the amnesiac here, I would _totally_ wish it on someone else.”

Jason shook his head. “... You wouldn’t. I wish I remembered my sister. Or at least remembered some of the stuff from Wilderness.”

Okay, now Leo was feeling bad for the guy. He was only joking earlier- he knew Jason’s amnesia must’ve been torturous. Leo felt like crap when he realized Jason was serious about his memory loss back at Camp Half-Blood. Then he realized it was a clean slate for the three of them. He and Piper could re-meet their best friend properly.

But, being on the other side of that would be worse. While he had some memories he could do without, Leo couldn’t imagine wiping away his entire background. Forgetting his mom, Piper, and even Dirt Face? He would’ve been lost.

“You’re not missing much,” Leo said, in his best efforts to comfort the guy. “You came late into the semester if I remember correctly. It’s a little hazy….. Maybe around October? We were roommates-” Leo flushed at some of the embarrassing memories. Jason could do without some of those stories. “You became friends with Piper through me. You two dated for a bit.”

“Yeah,” Jason knew _that_. Sometime between the chariot crash in the lake and the Festus crash in the Porta-potties, Piper and Jason agreed it was too weird for them to continue dating after it being fake. They didn’t tell Leo outright- he made a joke, and Piper quickly corrected him. It seemed like they weren’t too sure themselves what they wanted.

Leo didn’t care. It had nothing to do with him. Piper was gross in a Piper-way. She was obviously attractive, with those dark emotion-filled eyes and high cheekbones. But something about her kept Piper firmly in the sister category rather than wifey. And Jason… was _Jason_. He was hot too, duh, Leo had _eyes_. However, he had been Piper’s for so long that Leo had erased any treacherous thoughts from his mind a long time ago.

Jason’s eyes were very blue, though, Leo thought. Clear and bright. Electrifying.

“I wish I met you at Wilderness,” Jason suddenly said. He looked over to him, giving Leo that weird look from earlier. Leo resisted the urge to shift away. Jason’s staring was oddly familiar, and Leo wasn’t ready for that just yet. He calmed his breathing. “You and Piper,” Jason amended.

“Yeah,” Leo agreed. He then laid down, letting out a giant yawn. “Getting tired here, buddy. Are you good?”

“Mhm. Get some rest, Leo. I’ll take first watch.”

Leo closed his eyes, trying to pretend like he couldn’t feel Jason’s stare raking his body. He eventually slipped off into sleep, dreaming about a loud snoring monster with brilliant blue eyes who kept throwing fireballs at his feet.

* * *

**4**

Jason really didn’t like trash-talking his friends. Medea had invaded some part of his brain that he didn’t want to admit, and Leo had become the victim of it. Leo said some bad things too, but that didn’t excuse Jason.

He was supposed to be the one to lead seven demigods into a war, but he couldn’t even be honest with the two demigods there for him. Jason felt awful.

And then for Festus to die like that? Jason wasn’t able to do anything. He was useless and couldn’t help his friend.

Piper faded off into sleep under one of the blankets. She was exhausted from the Medea fiasco- Jason didn’t blame her. It only reminded him how useless he was, to succumb to Medea like that so easily when Piper stood strong. She saved them, and he owed her his life.

He owed Leo his life too, Jason recalled when peeking at the son of Hephaestus. Leo was working on the rescued cages filled with Hedge and the storm spirits. He was still upset, either at Medea or at Festus’ death. Both entirely plausible reasons.

“I never said thanks,” Jason slipped to Leo’s side. “For saving Piper and me with the giants. Thanks. We would’ve died if it wasn’t for you.”

Leo cursed under his breath when his fingers slipped on the lock. “Get some sleep. It’s your turn.”

Jason grew nervous. Ever since Khione, he had begun to first feel weird about Leo. Then he learned about the fire and heard about what happened with the giants. The Medea situation only further confused Jason. He needed to clear the air. “Leo, I’m sorry about that stuff I said in Chicago. That wasn’t me. You’re not annoying, and you _do_ take stuff seriously- especially your work. I wish I could do half the things you do.”

Leo continued to ignore him.

Jason tried again. “I’m sorry about Festus too. I know you cared a lot for him. You gave him a purpose. I think this quest was the high point of his life.”

Leo sighed. He pulled out a mini mallet from his toolbelt and loudly began hammering at the lock. It echoed around the mansion, making the statues surrounding them vibrate.

Jason must’ve blown it. His heart deflated.

He _really_ liked Leo. Leo was dependable and funny. Jason was glad he was there to even out the awkwardness with Piper- not that there was _much_ awkwardness, but sometimes it was hard to ignore that they had feelings for each other at some point, but that was gone now. But Leo kept Jason grounded.

Jason totally blew any relationship he had with the guy. He was about to slink off back to where Piper slept, but Leo cleared his throat.

“How the heck am I supposed to resent you if you apologize so much?” Leo rolled his eyes. “I’m a lowly mechanic. You’re like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I’m _supposed_ to resent you.”

“Lord of the Universe.”

“Well, _yeah_ ,” Leo smirked at him. “You’re all cool and _Jason_ , and I’m all lame and me.”

“That’s not true,” Jason protested. “You’re really smart. If it wasn’t for you, then we wouldn’t have been able to get this far.”

“Is that so?” Leo quirked an eyebrow. He dropped his tools and slid down the cage, exhausted. Jason sat down too. “Tell me more about my awesomeness.”

“Nah, you’ll just get a big head.” Jason felt like he could breathe again. The thick, angry tension between them had lessened, and Jason was happy to talk to a more silly Leo. The son of Hephaestus was still upset and tired, but that was understandable.

“I’ll have you know, my head is the appropriate amount of big,” Leo had a small smile. “It’s not as thick as yours, but I’m carrying precious cargo up here.” He tapped his screwdriver against his temple. “How’s your head, by the way?”

“Hmm?” Leo was referring to Jason getting knocked around by the giants, and then Medea and her creepy dead minions. He touched his forehead and rubbed a faint bump.

“I’m not a medic, but I can take a look. Sit up,” Leo instructed, sitting on his knees. Jason did what he was told. Leo cradled Jason’s face, examining his head, pushing Jason’s face this way and that. His fingers were light like butterfly kisses as he felt Jason’s skin. He’s a mechanic, Jason was reminded.

It was quiet except for the whistling of the overhead chandelier, Piper’s snores, and the soft whirring of the _venti_. Jason stared at Leo’s face, not sure what else to look at.

He had taken to staring at Leo since that awkward kiss in Canada. Leo didn’t make a big deal out of that, and just rolled with the punches the way he usually did. But Jason was a thinker. It was hard _not_ to be a thinker, considering Jason only had about a week’s worth of memories to ruminate on anyway.

Leo’s lips were chapped when they had kissed. Now, Jason wasn’t so sure, as he looked at his friend. He wouldn’t mind finding out again.

Leo was breaking out across his T-zone because of all the stress, grime, and lack of hygiene over the past few days. Piper was lucky because some of Aphrodite’s blessings stayed with the clear skin. Jason couldn’t even remember if he was someone who got acne. Was he a teenager who had a meticulous face routine, or was he gifted with clear skin? Ja hadn’t seen his own face clear from dirt and ash in days.

Jason’s eyes swept over Leo’s face. He wasn’t as gorgeous as Piper, though that was an unfair comparison. Vulcan was an ugly god, while his wife was the goddess of beauty. That wasn’t so clearly reflected in their children’s face, but Jason could see that Piper had _something_ to her that was unfair. Leo wasn’t _ugly_. While his nose was a little crooked from too many fights, and his grin had a particular mischief to it, Jason could stare at Leo for hours.

“You’re being weird again,” Jason didn’t even notice when Leo was done. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like…” Leo seemed embarrassed. “...Nevermind.” His fire might not have been working in the strange mansion, but Jason swore the temperature around him rose. He raised his screwdriver and squatted to go back to working at the lock trapping Hedge. “Have you gotten any of your memories back?”

“Not yet. There’s still a few blanks.”

“That sucks, man. Seriously.”

“I’m dealing.”

Leo gave him a small smile. “Right. You should get to sleep, though. It’ll be a while until I figure this out.”

Jason was uncertain about leaving Leo alone but then thought better of it. “Okay. Wake me up in a few hours then. Are we cool?”

“We alright,” Leo’s smile grew into a wide lopsided grin. Jason smiled back too, heart faintly beating in his chest.

“Awesome. Good night.” Leo grunted in response, in full Vulcan mode. Jason chuckled to himself and went back to where Piper was sleeping. Her shallow breath lulled him to sleep until he heard Hedge yelling a few hours later.

* * *

**5**

“Your mom… she was intense,” Leo admitted during their jog up the mountain. Ahead, Hedge was whooping about some camp-song. Despite her recent hypothermia, Piper ran with some of the Hunters at the front. Jason could see Thalia talking to her. Piper glanced back at Jason and waved.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “I still wish I knew her.”

Leo shook his head, his lip curled with disgust. “No, you _shouldn’t_. If what Thalia said was true… that’s not even a mother. How could some women get rid of their 2-year-old son like that?”

Jason didn’t know either, nor had Thalia fully understood. It was almost fourteen years ago.

“Like, what the hell?” Leo continued, oblivious to Jason. He hopped over a fallen branch. “You were old enough to _speak_. That’s messed up on so many levels.”

“Leo,” Jason said. “No offense, but please. Stop talking.”

Leo glanced at him and jogged closer to Jason. Their shoulders brushed, the silver parkas given by the Hunters making a swishy noise. Jason kept his eyes up ahead, focusing only on their run. He wanted to know more about his past and his memories, but if they were all as tragic as his mother, then maybe Jason _didn’t_ want them.

He thought meeting Thalia would have provided more answers, but she only left more questions. While she filled in the gaps of his earlier years, she simply confirmed that Jason barely knew the lasting family he actually had. Jason was given up when he was two, and he knew that a wolf, Lupa, was involved in his upbringing. And there was some other camp, a Roman camp, one that branded him and labeled him a leader and a hero.

If only he could _remember_ that. Jason’s shoulder dropped as he let out a heavy sigh. He and Leo were starting to fall back further, as Jason noticeably slowed and Leo matched his pace.

“Hey,” Leo spoke again, voice softer. “Thalia dropped a bomb on you just now. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Earnestly, Jason shook his head. He gazed towards Thalia and the rest of the Hunters in front of them. A quarter of a mile up was a blurry ice bridge glinting with the sunrise, leading to the sky.

“Look, I know meeting your sister wasn’t all that, but it helped with the puzzle, right?” Leo encouraged him. “It might not have been a major piece, but it’s still a piece.”

Jason considered what Leo was saying. “I don’t know what I was expecting. She’s not like me at all.”

Leo stopped running entirely. He looked very unsure as he slid his hands into his jacket’s shimmery pockets. Face pink from the cold and the exercise, Leo kicked at the snow. “Thalia was cool. She saved us and helped Piper with her hypothermia. She’s a _lot_ like you.”

Jason was silent. He didn’t see any resemblance between himself and his sister, but Leo wouldn’t lie to him. Thalia felt so sure of herself. She _knew_ who she was and what she was doing. She was very put together. Jason was none of that.

“Dude,” Leo reached out and patted Jason’s shoulder. “If I could fix everything for you, I _would_ , you know. You’re still my best friend, fake memories or not. I’m here for you.”

Jason blushed as he looked at Leo. Leo was flustered as well. His hand dropped from Jason’s body, awkwardly swinging between them.

He took Leo’s hand. It was hot. Leo didn’t make any jokes like Jason expected.

“Okay,” Jason said, his face turned away from Leo, mortified. “Thank you.”

“Yup. You made me all gushy just now,” Leo also stared at the ground, clearly awkward. Their hands were still holding each other. “Let’s catch up with them before Hedge makes us do push-ups or laps around the mountain.”

They began to jog again, catching up with the group. Jason and Leo’s hands stayed together the entire way until Thalia stopped suddenly, and Jason almost crashed into her.

* * *

**6**

Leo almost fell out of the sky if it hadn’t been for Jason pulling him back.

“Holy-” Leo squeezed Jason and Piper’s arms to stay from dropping,” Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time.”

Jason gazed down at the enormous chasm that dropped down into the mountain. The mountain had been carved out with hundreds of tunnels, some sealed with some kind of glossy material, others letting out harpies and _aurai_. That would’ve been a very _nasty_ fall. Jason was very glad for his quick reflexes that Leo didn’t splat at the bottom.

“Oh, my,” Mellie gasped. “I’m so sorry.” She called through a walkie talkie for someone named Nuggets and asked for a floor on the main studio. The floor that came looked like a quilt of duct tape, grass, and plywood- none of which looked substantial.

“That can’t be safe,” Jason argues.

“Oh, it is!” Mellie glided over the floor. “The harpies are very good.”

Jason would rather not see either of his friends fall through it. He took a step forward with his breath held. If anything, he could fly back out to safety. Amazingly, the floor held. It was as solid as a rock.

Piper kept her arm looped around Jason’s as she took a hesitant step forward. “If I fall, you’re catching me.”

“Uh, sure.”

Leo stepped out next. “You’re catching me too, Superman. But I ain’t holding your hand.” Then his foot fell onto a piece of grass, and Leo must’ve thought better of his declaration because he immediately grabbed Jason’s free hand. “Uh, actually, I’d rather be on the safe side here.” He glared at the ground and danced around to keep his feet on the stable-looking pieces of wood.

Jason squeezed his hand, and Leo further buried his chin into his jacket. His ears were smoking.

Despite the situation, Jason could help but to grin to himself, blushing.

* * *

**7**

...What was _that_? Leo was utterly horrified that he did that with Jason. Holding hands like they were in preschool? While it was a very emotional time for Jason back at Thalia, and Leo obviously didn’t want to die on Aelous’ mountain, what the _heck?_

Leo glimpsed at Jason, across the table. They were sitting in California, somehow, due to weird goddess powers due to Aphrodite. Leo got a very… interesting makeover, as well as Piper, while Hedge looked terrifying, but Jason looked the same. Aphrodite obviously didn’t think the guy needed any changes except for a cleaner haircut and a neater shirt.

Leo was suddenly very thankful that his wardrobe change included sunglasses. He was able to hide the fact that he had just checked out his best friend for a solid minute. The shame flared, even more, when he remembered the hand-holding incident from earlier.

Jeez, could Leo _be_ any more embarrassing? At least he wasn’t Hedge the pastel nightmare.

They called for a cab to take them up the mountain to steal back Piper’s dad. Hedge sat in the front seat with the driver and chatted about the horticulture of Walnut Creek, California. The demigods in the back seat knew this was Hedge thinking of his dinner plans.

Meanwhile, the back seat was ruminating with racing thoughts. They were stuffed like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, Jason on one end, and Leo on the other. Leo cracked his window open a little, but when a suspicious amount of sandy dust flew in, he quickly closed it.

They were supposed to save the world… from Mother Earth. His life was ridiculous.

Next to him, Piper was wringing her hands. She was no doubt, thinking of her dad. Jason was staring out the window. From his grave reflection, Leo gathered that Jason was mentally debating the battle ahead. Jason’s eyes caught Leo, and they both looked away.

Leo focused on the biggest problem. Wiggling about, Leo passed on a mint from his toolbelt. Piper squeezed the wrapper in her hands. Her knuckles were white from the grip.

“Don’t worry. We’re gonna kick Enchilada’s butt and get your dad.” He reassured her.

Piper let out a mirthless bark of dry laughter. “ _Enceladus_. And I _know_. I just- I just can’t help feeling like we might be too late.”

“There’s three hours left,” Jason chimed in. “And it’s _us_ three. We’re going to save your dad.”

“Us four!” Hedge called out to them. “Four and ‘Ol Reliable here,” he swung his bat like a sword, causing the taxi to swerve, as the driver tried to avoid getting smacked.

Jason didn’t have much tolerance for Hedge. “...Us four. We’ll save your dad if we don’t get into an accident first.”

Leo nodded. “Yeah, if Hedge doesn’t kill us, then we’d totally save your dad.”

Piper stuck the mint in her mouth and bit. Hard. Jason and Leo exchanged a glance over her head. Then Piper let out a shaky breath. “I wish my mom didn’t give me a dress, but I’m up for kicking some butt.”

“Atta girl,” Hedge cheered.

Leo had to give Jason props for the help. Together, they had defused some of Piper’s worries. He peeked at Jason again. Jason flipped his gold coin in his hand. He caught the coin and looked up, locking eyes with Leo. Leo felt butterflies.

Then the two looked away _again_. Leo groaned into the cab’s upholstery. If his hair was on fire, no one spoke up.

This was _so_ embarrassing.

* * *

**8**

Jason felt Leo’s makeover was extra because Leo was fine how he was.

* * *

**9**

Jason was so freaking _stupid_. Leo didn’t even notice how dumb the blond was until he caught up with Piper, and the Roman demigod was gone.

They heard Enceladus’ evil cackle and saw Jason steaming with a giant spear aiming for his chest. A chill ran down Leo’s back, and he sprinted without thinking. He was going to get himself killed being reckless, but that was okay.

What was Jason even _doing_? Was he just sitting there, allowing the giant to kill him? Leo’s thought process was only _STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID_! He let his hands do the talking as they rushed over the hydraulic ax.

“Head up!” He howled. The tip of the giant ax flung through the air. For a second, Leo thought he missed, and he almost screamed, fearing Jason’s death. Luckily, his aim was just good enough, and Encladeus stumbled away, dropping the spear. The giant fell into the large pit.

“Jason, get up!” Piper yelled, running to the other demigod. Leo ran to Jason too.

Jason looked beaten up and groggy but seemed okay. Leo felt relieved and hugged Jason. “Man, I thought you were a goner!”

“Thanks,” Jason pat his back. “But we’re not done.” The ground rumbled as Encladeus came to his feet. The giant ripped the ax part out of his chest. The three demigods watched in horror as the monster’s chest restitched itself together. Soon, it was like nothing had happened.

“My fate is preordained,” Enceladus declared. “Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes.”

“Only by both,” Jason said. “It’s true, isn’t it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you.”

“You will not live long enough to try!” The giant screamed. He began climbing up the glass-covered mountainside.

Leo tensed. They were goners if the giant came up here again. He looked at Piper and Jason for their next plan. “Anyone have a god handy?”

Jason pursed his lips, body alert, and ready for another battle. “Leo. Got any rope?” He then- because he was so freaking _stupid_ , jumped at the giant with his bare hands. What the _hell._

Piper, quick on her feet, called out. “Enceladus! Look behind you!” Her charmspeak was terrifyingly strong. Leo cursed in every language he knew, watching Jason wrestle with the giant. His hands pulled as much rope from his tool belt as he could, the magical belt seeming to understand his distress.

“Get off!” Enceladus cried.

Jason growled. He yelled at Piper and Leo: “Hit the deck!” and they dropped just in time for a crackle of white-hot lightning to stab through the sky and shoot to the pit. Leo’s hair burned from the hot intensity so close. The ground under them screamed and shook with anger.

Jason had blown the mountain in half.

Somehow, the giant was still alive and guffawed at Jason’s attempt. He was gripping to the sides of the pit, glass slicing up his frantic hands.

“They’re going to fall,” Piper realized. Leo analyzed the situation, his mind filling with quick plans. He saw what she meant. Jason’s sudden lightning created a crater down the mountain that both he and the giant were quickly heading towards.

Piper threw some of the rope down. Leo ran, tying the other end to one of the destroyed construction machines. Enceladus roared, invigorating Leo to move faster. When he got back, Jason was dangling by a string. Piper struggled with pulling him up, but with her and Leo’s combined strength, they barely managed to bring Jason up to the cliff edge.

They stood together, terrified. The ground stopped rumbling.

“Gaea’s gone,” Piper concluded when the dust settled.

“Oh my God,” Leo collapsed, and his best friends were quick to follow. “I need a nap. For the next thousand years.”

“The forest is on fire,” Jason gasped. The mountain was collapsing around them. Everything was covered in rubble and soot.

“That’s normal for California,” Piper added. “Everything hurts.”

“We should go before we die here,” Leo grunted. Somewhere in the clearing, a man was sticking out. He looked confused and terrified. Leo’s seen enough movies to know who it was.

“Dad?” Piper got up and ran. Staying behind, Jason and Leo panted, watching the reunion. It wasn’t their moment.

“What’d I miss? Did I do this?” Hedge woke up from his apparent coma from being tossed earlier. “Aw yeah! One satyr, zero monsters.” He began dancing around on his tiny hooves.

Jason was too tired to protest. Leo laughed. “Let him have this one.”

Above, there was a helicopter circling. Most likely, the fire team. The demigods would need to get help, so they _don’t_ end up dying on this mountain. Maybe Hedge’s whooping would attract them.

Leo whirled to Jason with an accusatory finger. “You!”

“What?” Jason jumped. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Leo crawled over. He sat in front of Jason. Then he hugged his best friend tightly. A few feet away, Piper was doing the same to Tristan McLean. Jason’s arms came up and clasped him back.

“You’re so stupid,” Leo mumbled. “You’re so _freaking stupid_. What’s wrong with you? Did you lose all common sense with your amnesia? Who does _that?_ ”

“I’m glad you’re okay, too,” Jason told him. Leo pulled back a little. Jason stared at him. Giving him that same weird curious look he did back in Canada. Leo was almost positive he was sending the same stare back.

Jason’s hands slide from Leo’s back up to Leo’s face. He rubbed some of the soot from Leo’s cheek. His thumb was rough from years of fighting, years Jason still didn’t remember. Leo’s butterflies were flipping out. His mind was going haywire because he _knew_ what was to happen next. Leo wasn’t going to stop him. Jason’s eyes flickered to his lips.

“Celebrations should wait until _after_ we’re in the clear, Valdez,” Hedge interrupted. He raised a hand to squint at the flying helicopter. “Make me a bullhorn to yell at them.”

Jason began to laugh. Leo faltered, standing. He towered over the short satyr. Hedge impatiently held his hand out for the bullhorn that he assumed Leo magically made in the three seconds since he called for it.

Jason’s laugh was nearing hysteria. Leo couldn’t blame him.

* * *

**10**

Hedge volunteered to protect Piper’s father, which Jason had no problems with. It meant his trio could stick together, and Piper’s dad had a (somewhat) reliable method of staying safe.

After landing the helicopter at the Oakland Airport, Jason, Leo and Hedge gave Piper some room to say goodbye. Jason felt bad for the man- he didn’t know what was worse: to lose memories of the past few weeks or painfully remember them. Piper chose the latter for her father. As someone with memory problems, Jason couldn’t say which was the right choice.

“Glad someone got her happy ending,” Leo muttered. He then stretched and rubbed his eyes. “This quest is over, right? I’m tired of being a punching bag for monsters. Tell me it’s over, Jason. We can just ignore Hera.”

“It’s over,” Jason said. He was happy it was done too. He just wished he got his memory back. But at least he had some new memories to keep in his head. This quest with Leo and Piper would always be memorable. Jason reached out to Leo.

“Back to Camp Half-Blood, huh.” Both their hands were dirty from the day’s events, but neither boy cared. Leo’s deep brown eyes gleamed with pleasure, as Jason linked their fingers together. Something in Jason told him the battle wasn’t over, but he ignored it.

Piper was happy and _very_ thankful. She didn’t need to say anything as she wiped away teary eyes, saying goodbye to her father.

“You did so well,” Jason told her. Leo stood at his side, nodding. Piper enveloped them both in a hug.

* * *

**11**

Twilight. Leo was in Twilight.

He figured it out after Jason told him the crazy plan about Wolf House in the helicopter and the fact that after defeating a giant, they still needed to save Hera. Honestly, Leo could survive without her, but _no_ , they needed to do the right thing.

Anyway. Twilight. Leo was basically Bella Swan being thrown into a bunch of nonsense with werewolves and some war he never wanted to get into.

Regardless, Leo put up with being at Wolf House. It meant Jason could see his sister again, and hopefully get more closure. Piper was eager to help, feeling as if she needed to thank them for helping her with her dad. She didn’t need to.

Still. Leo couldn’t help but feel jealous that he won’t have a teary reunion. He didn’t have any family left. Besides stupid Jason and eager Piper.

Jason was totally knocked out in that back seat of the helicopter. Piper sat in the copilot seat with her headset on.

“I’m worried about him,” Piper said, thumbing behind them. Leo glanced at Jason, careful to keep his eye on keeping the helicopter a flight. It was hard enough with his mind bouncing everywhere.

“Why? Jason’s good.”

“He’s getting some of his memories back now.” Piper sounded concerned. “What if he remembers everything, and he’s not our Jason anymore.”

Oh. Leo never thought about that. Of course, he wanted Jason to get his memories back. But would that risk the relationship they were building? Would Jason’s personality do a complete 180? Leo did not like that idea at all. If Jason changed, Leo would freak.

“We’re a team,” Leo reassured her. “Jason’s gonna stick with us whether he likes it or not. And if he turns out to be the biggest jerk of all, then we’ll have to fix him right.”

A moment of silence passed. “That’s fair,” Piper giggled. “Is it wrong that I’m hoping he doesn’t have any cooler Roman best friends out there?”

“There’s no one cooler than us, Pipes.”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

* * *

**12**

_Yeah_. Hera was… unpleasant. They weren't allowed to leave her trapped in the cage, but Jason was sure that Leo took his time.

But adding Khione to the mix just felt… excessive? Jason tried fighting the best he could, but he was exhausted, and his weapon was literally a plank of wood. Piper held her own, and Leo was running around with his mints.

At least he just got his memories back. It was debilitating, remembering Camp Jupiter, but Jason wasn't allowed any time to reflect. He stuffed it away.

Jason hoped they could hold out. He thought he would very much like to see the next day.

* * *

**13**

Leo realized the Khione was nowhere as hot as he initially thought. He briefly recalled Cal calling her mean and couldn't help to agree.

"You're doing great!" Jason called as he sliced through another monster with his board. "Don't forget about Hera."

"You try fighting ice princess!"

Khione scowled and threw more ice picks with a screech.

* * *

**14**

Jason knew who he was. He was fighting this new giant, Porphiyron when he blasted the giant with lightning and screamed _For Rome!_ Or at least he thought that's what he cried.

Porphiyron was smoking, but still alive. He said something about being the Bane of Zeus.

Jason was too tired to understand it all. He thought he heard Leo and Piper scream something. Maybe they did.

For a split second, Jason thought he was going to die. He wished he could give Leo and Piper some final words before he went, but Jason couldn't help it.

Then Hera burst out of her cage and exploded. Jason didn't close his eyes.

And so Jason actually _did_ die.

* * *

**15**

"Jason?" Both Piper and Leo ran to his side.

"What the hell?" Leo shook his friend. Jason wasn't moving. Hera tutted as if Jason's lack of movement was a minor inconvenience. "What did you do? What was that flash bomb thing?"

"That was her true form," Thalia appeared at her brother's side. "Mortal's can't look at it."

"Jason, wake up," Piper murmured to the body.

"Wait-" Leo tried not to panic. It was getting hard not to. "So we do all this crap for _you_ ," he accused Hera, "and you're just going to let him die?"

"It's out of my control now," Hera frowned. "I would never intentionally harm him. He was supposed to be my champion."

"Wake up, Jason," Piper said again, her voice a mere echo.

"Can't you do something?" Leo questioned the goddess. "Do some voodoo magic or something? Aren't you queen of the gods?"

"It's complicated-"

"He's breathing?" Thalia interrupted. The Hunter was crying.

Piper took a deep breath and continued her mantra. "Wake up," she chanted. "Wake up, Jason."

Leo watched with wide eyes. Jason's body twitched. Jumpstarted. Even Hera looked on with interest. Finally, Jason's eyes flashed gold, and he bolted up. He looked confused, even more so when Piper jumped him into a hug.

"You're fine," Piper whispered under her breath. She squeezed him. Jason looked at Thalia and Leo with confusion.

"What happened?" He asked Leo. Leo shook his head. Jason groaned and patted Piper's back. "You're crushing me."

"Impossible," Hera murmured. She gave Piper a bizarre look. "Aphrodite does not have the power to heal."

Thalia grabbed Jason's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. My mouth's dry…," Jason pulled away. "I feel like I've seen something terrible."

"That was Hera," Thalia grumbled. "Her majesty, the loose cannon."

"Thalia Grace," the goddess fumed. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me-"

"Stop it!" Piper snapped.

Meanwhile, Leo poked Jason's chest, not sure if this was actually a zombie. Jason grabbed his fingers and laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Just checking," Leo said, and Jason pulled him in close. Leo had to awkwardly sit in Jason's lap, one folded knee on each side of Jason.

"Checking for what?"

"A desire to eat my brain."

"No desire here," Jason coughed. "Not to eat brains, at least."

Leo scowled at Jason. "Jokes aren't necessary here. You just _died_."

"If it was my life on the line, I think I'm entitled to some jokes."

" _Jason_ ," Leo was serious. "It's different when you actually died. I don't think you could ever understand what it's like to have your best friend die in front of you like that."

"I sure hope not," Jason said. His hands wiped away tears that Leo didn't know were there. "I'd rather not watch you or Piper die."

"You won't," Leo promised. Jason's lips quirked up in some humorous snarky smile. He gave Leo a meaningful look, palms settling Leo's waist.

Leo suddenly became hyper-aware of where they were. He pivoted his head away, examining the ground beside them. The goddess of marriage looked uncomfortable. Piper was clearly entertained. Thalia was scrutinizing Jason carefully.

"So, uh, I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?" Leo asked. It was tough to ignore that his head was on fire, his eyes screwed tight with embarrassment, and Jason jerking away.

Hera, ever regal. "No," she said, launching into a lecture about Gaea and the giants. Leo did his best to listen, but he couldn't help but think about Jason's hands gripping his waist, the same hands that killed monsters, and acted as a conduit for voltage. Leo self-extinguished himself, and Jason, the most tired of all of them, dropped his head on Leo's shoulder.

"Tell me it's over," Jason mumbled into Leo's chest. He experimentally pulled on one of Leo's suspenders, causing the son of Hephaestus to jump.

"Should be," Leo whispered back. Thalia and Hera were getting into another argument. "I guess we're going home now."

Jason babbled something Leo couldn't hear. He didn't think it was important. The only thing that mattered was that Jason was alive.

* * *

**16**

After Hera blinked them into Camp Half-Blood, Jason went straight to his cabin and passed out. He couldn’t even dream- just a straight and healthy 15-hour slumber.

When he woke up, some people from the Apollo cabin met him at his breakfast table and gave him ambrosia while quickly checking for any severe injuries. Jason let them. He embraced the breeze and warm air that the camp gave him. It felt like it’s been forever since Jason wasn’t on a mountainside, in a mansion of ice, or shivering in a sewer.

“Yo,” Leo looked refreshed when he sat opposite of Jason. “Piper’s starting a mutiny against Drew. I saw it when I passed by her windows. Aphrodite kids are _crazy_. How could she think she wasn’t one of them?”

Jason laughed. “That’s our Piper.”

Leo chewed on some of the bacon from his plate. “I have to show you guys something later. Tell Piper when you see her? I have to make sure it’s clean and ready for other people.”

“Will do.” Jason ate his eggs. He watched Leo hungrily scarf down his own food. “Do you want to… do something?”

Leo held up a napkin to act as a barrier in between them. “Don’t look at me like that.” He complained.

“Like _what_?” Jason reached out. He grabbed Leo’s wrist and the napkin fluttered to the table. Leo’s other hand covered his face.

“ _Dude_ ,” Leo stressed. He stood from the table. “I saw some guys playing basketball. Want to play?”

They left after clearing their plates. Jason left an offering for Hera, thanking her for returning them back. He also wasn’t sure if he should drop an offering to either Zeus or Jupiter, so he poured in orange juice for both and hoped for the best.

Leo snagged a basketball, and they headed toward the beach for some privacy. Leo sported shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Jason only had on a tank top and shorts.

“Man, why does it feel like summer?” Leo fanned his face. They couldn’t dribble the ball due to sand obviously, but Leo constructed a wide pipe cleaner hoop and attached it to jutting rocks. They practiced free throws, neither boy trying their hardest.

Leo had a surprisingly good aim. He wondered how much of that was because of _Leo_ or because he was a meticulous son of Hephaestus. Leo passed Jason the ball and watched as Jason shot.

“If I’m not mistaken,” Leo threw the ball. “You got your memories back?”

“Most of them,” Jason admitted. “Some of them are still foggy, but I’ll get them all back sooner rather than later.”

“Oh,” Leo flicked his wrist. The basketball soared from his hands but hit the rock instead. “Crap. Don’t count that one.” He ran to where the ball rolled. “How long until you’ll remember everything?”

Jason shrugged. “If I can get them all by Christmas or the end of the year, that’ll be great. But who knows?”

“Yeah,” Leo tossed Jason the ball again, skipping his own turn. “I’m happy for you.”

“You don’t sound that happy.”

“I am. Seriously, it’s what you’ve been wanting. Hera sucks for taking them in the first place.”

Jason missed. He didn’t bother chasing after the basketball this time. Leo grabbed instead, but rather than shooting, he just stood there with the ball crooked at his hip. Jason jogged over. “I’m not going to leave Camp Half-Blood, you know. You, me, and Piper are still a team.”

“Duh. I know that,” Leo grinned. “I don’t know anything about your real life, but we’re a million times better.”

Reyna and Dakota came to mind. It was refreshing that Jason could think of those names and have something attached to them. Someone named Octavian also came up with some hesitance. But Leo and Piper also clouded Jason’s mind, with _so_ many stories attached to them.

“You are,” Jason said. Some of the wind from the beach ruffled through Leo’s hair. “Some of my memories aren’t good news, though. Not good for any of us.” He rubbed his forearm, where his tattoo glowed under the morning light. Hera said their dangerous journey was only beginning.

Leo frowned. “Dang, Jay,” Leo’s free arm brushed Jason’s tattoo. “That’s rough. We can figure it out, though.”

Jason hesitated. He didn’t know if Leo was right. Some part of him believed Leo, both a darker part of him thought it was all hopeless. Leo must’ve sensed some of that turmoil because he gave Jason an easy-going smile. “Dude seriously,” Leo said. “We’ll figure it out together.”

Jason trusted Leo. He lifted Leo’s chin up to look at him. After a quest of quick glances and steering clear of each other, Leo finally held his gaze. Leo’s eyes smoothly fell to Jason’s mouth and then back up.

“Hey Leo?” Jason asked.

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you right now?”

Leo snorted. “What? You want to take my second kiss too? My first wasn’t enough for you?”

“Leo,” Jason leaned in, “You talk too much.” He bent his head and pressed his lips against his best friend’s.

Leo hesitated.

* * *

**17**

Jason just kissed him.

It wasn’t an accident either- it was purposeful, and Jason even asked for permission. Leo didn’t respond because he froze.

He found that he wasn’t against it at all. When did _that_ happen? He supposed it was something that was developing for a while. It was still embarrassing.

Jason pulled away, face red. Oh, did Leo just mess this up? He totally did.

“Sorry, I thought-” Jason stepped back. “I shouldn’t have-”

“No, you’re fine,” Leo grabbed Jason back. “That was on me. Can we try again?”

Jason’s fingers shocked him in his excitement. His hands went to Leo’s waist. This time, Leo held Jason’s jaw and stood up on his toes to reach. The basketball bounced away from them. Leo grounded his sneakers in the sand. He knew that if he kissed Jason right now, things would change ever so slightly.

They were still going to be best friends and stand by each other. With that in mind, Leo leaned up and kissed Jason back with everything. Jason smiled into the kiss, and Leo’s cells were vibrating from the electrical current running through him. Leo helplessly found himself grinning back.

Two smiles didn’t make a very good smooch, and their teeth knocked together. So they separated in a fit of gleeful giggling. “Sorry,” Leo apologized, laughing. “That was on you, though.”

Jason was laughing too. “It was.” He kissed Leo again. “But it was better than the ice kiss, right?”

“Eh,” Leo rolled his eyes. But it was infinitely better than their first kiss. He wasn’t going to tell Jason that. “You’ll figure it out.”

Jason kissed him again. And again. And again. Each one was better than the one before it.

**Author's Note:**

> i find this fic a little awkward because i wrote it as at 4 am, but also because one half of my mind was screaming SLOW BURN while the other half was just crying and yelling END IT. let me just say, as i skimmed through tlh, Jason and Leo genuinely _do_ care a lot for each other. i noticed that they had a lot more heart-2-hearts than i remembered (nor did i remember that piper literally brought jason back from the DEAD?) and most of their talks are in secret when piper's sleeping. the amount of sleeping was not exaggerated here lol. jason really _did_ trust Leo with a lot of information before he did piper. hm. 
> 
> **[[The title comes from a line Piper thinks during the Medea scene. The full paragraph is:** "The dragons lunged. Leo and Jason charged to intercept. Piper was amazed how fearlessly the boys attacked- working like a team who had trained together for years. (317)". **I thought it was a nice representation of their relationship, despite at this point, only knowing each other for about 4 or 5 days, and were JUST being at each other's throats.]]**
> 
> anyway, thanks for reading :)))) leave any thoughts/flames/questions below or at [my tumblr here](https://bunkernine.tumblr.com/). have a good day and stay safe!!! :)


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